Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Roofing Investigation - WIN Stadium

Your story is manifestly incorrect. Please review your own photos of the two different grandstands, Northern (Scott Carver) and Western (NOT Scott Carver).

We feel a footnote might be appropriate to correct the record perhaps?

The roof structure requiring repair was to the WESTERN grandstand, not the NORTHERN Grandstand.

The WESTERN Grandstand;Was NOT designed by Scott Carver,Was NOT directed by Robert Perry,Was NOT built using Australian steel.

The NORTHERN grandstand, which was the first recycled grandstand anywhere in the world, was disassembled and reassembled by Leightons Contractors in 2002.

We remain very proud of the Northern Grandstand as both an environmental and community achievement.

Without the savings in cost to the grandstand born of the relocation process, The NRL would have removed WIN Stadium as a viable rugby league venue.

One should note that the steel for the Northern Grandstand came from steelworks in Young, using Australian steel.

The roof is and always has been suitably bolted down. It has withstood 10 years worth of the best coastal elements very well.

Have a nice day.Scott Carver Architects.

Roof sheets often become dislodged with high winds etc: BUT reading the article it states as follows:

The State Government announced on Monday the stadium roof would be redesigned, strengthened and in use by June 8, ending a long and expensive saga that began on September 20 when bolts of the newly constructed, 130-tonne roof snapped under 75km/h winds.

See Correction and comment above:
This fact is fairly disturbing considering the roof is 130 tonnes. Looking back at the history of this stadium which guessing was built in sometime in this decade by Leighton Building after the Sydney Olympic Games. Digging further reveals a few facts regarding the steel roof structure:

It is the old roof from the Sydney International Aquatic Centre from 2000.

It was dismantled and hauled 80 kilometers to Wollongong.

Then assembled by Leighton Building after that.

In September 2011 the bolts snapped on the 130 tonne roof after 75 km/h winds

Engineers, builders and crane operators worked for two weeks to prevent the roof's total collapse by welding together two support struts that had broken away from the wider truss and removing 50 per cent of the total aluminium roofing to vitally reduce its weight.

It was then certified by the engineer as being safe.

Now the latest dislodging roof sheet problem. 12/1/2012.

See Correction and comment above:
Here's a photo of the 2000 Sydney International Aquatic Centre (hopefully)

Sydney International Aquatic Centre 2000 This is not the roof involved

See Correction and comment above:
Here's a photo of the WIN stadium at Wollongong.

WIN Stadium Wollongong This is not the roof involved

Now here's the police stopping traffic after roof sheets have become dislodged:

Police barricade the street last week This is the problem roof!

See Correction and comment above:
Apologies for the photos as they are all that is available - will update on these as there are obvious problems between the three. Can anyone confirm or give details of correct timeline on this.

The article is here in the Illawarra Mercury and has some good reader comments at the bottom of the article.

Also found link to BlueScope News item telling the ability for steel (in finished product) to be reused. I have the original pdf from the BlueScope website - because it may just disappear shortly. But doubtful as the IT CEO has since resigned!

The request of any information regarding costing, safety etc is all being channelled through WIN Sports and Entertainment Centre director Mr. Stuart Barnes and cannot provide any more detail. Watch this stadium and any outcomes that may eventuate.

See Correction and comment above:
More info on this project below: The Grandstand in the 1st two pictures has not been affected - all the names below were not involved with the Aramax style roofing problem!
The architects were NOT Scott Carver - NOT Director Robert Perry
The Builder was NOT Leighton Contractors
80% of the steel was reused
Costing was quoted as 65% of equivalent new building
Estimated 350 tonnes steel transported to site
ALL Australian Steel:
Articles & comments suggest aluminium sheets - but no details. (BlueScope? or imported)

There's more to this WIN Stadium problem than is available on MSM currently. Phantoms are looking into this now!